Four
LIANA
Five days later
It’s been less than a week since I arrived here at Dario’s estate, and I feel so out of place. They’re such a tight-knit family that it’s impossible for me to be accepted as if I belong. That’s going to take some time, and apparently, I have plenty of it.
While I had no choice for the most part, my input has begun to make a difference in certain things. The wedding, for instance, I’ve managed to sweet talk Kat into getting Dario to postpone it for another two weeks so I can get settled.
Dario’s a stern man, and he’s made it clear that he wants no part in the preparations for the wedding. But he’s also contradicting himself and exercising full authority over the setting, colour scheme and seating arrangements. Everything else is my responsibility. Well, mine and Kat’s. She’s been by my side every step of the way to make this day memorable, but in all honesty, it’s not something I want to remember. It’s not real, it’s a marriage I’m being forced into, but she’s just so fixated on the thought of us being sisters-in-law that I can’t bear to reject her help in fear of hurting her feelings.
Knocking on my door twice with a delicate tap, Kat lets herself in and perches beside me. “Are you ready to go?” she asks in a chipper tone.
I tightly press my lips together and nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I breathe.
She places a comforting hand on mine that is pushed into the mattress as I prop myself up. I turn to face her, a defeated expression replacing my features, and watch as a soft smile appears on her lips. “I know visiting the clinic isn’t the most dignified thing, but I went through it too. It is nothing to worry about, Lia. The Vitale men take pride in continuing their family name and, in this case, legacy. Before Dario was Don, Maze ruled, and marrying me granted him access to the throne. He never wanted it and had a plan to hand it over to Rio. Those two years were gruelling as I yearned for a baby, but he refused. He didn’t want his child to be thrust into a role he himself didn’t even want—”
“Why are you telling me this?” I ask, interrupting her. I don’t mean to cut her off, but I already have so much running through my mind; I don’t need the additional information.
“Because I was in your shoes once,” she snaps, her tone devoid of any politeness. “Maze didn’t want the weight of prioritising their legacy weighing over their future. Yes, our baby might have wanted it, but he didn’t want that for them. Because of that, he always wore protection when we slept together. He wouldn’t relent in his decision to wait, no matter what I wanted. Now, seven years down the line and after fertility issues, we finally conceived. This baby,” she grabs my hand and gently places it on her stomach, “is our miracle. I used to hate how long we waited, but now that I’m pregnant, I appreciate his adamance because I don’t think I would’ve wanted a baby when he was Don. I would always fear for my safety and theirs.”
I swallow hard at her words. “But now it’s my responsibility to thrust an innocent child into this situation. Once Dario gets his way, an heir will be born and the throne will be theirs, won’t it?”
She sighs, “Call me selfish, but I would rather someone else’s child be in the hot seat than my own. If the roles were reversed, I know you’d feel the same.” She leans backward making her bump more prominent now. “The difference between Maze and Rio is that Rio is and always has been ready for this. He grew up wanting this life and will do anything to protect his family from the result of his actions. Now, that’s not to say Maze can’t do that too, but he’s never wanted to be the center of attention. I promise, you’re in good hands.”
That little overload of information doesn’t make me feel any better.
“We should get going,” I finally say, standing to my feet, the nausea in my gut swirling.
“Yeah, you’re right. I hope you don’t mind stopping to get breakfast first; this baby is stealing all my nutrients, and I’m starving.”
I offer a smile. “The joys of pregnancy, I presume?”
“This is just the beginning,” she laughs softly. “I’ve read that it only gets worse from here. So I’m doing what I can to preserve this feeling of pure bliss within me before I get chubby ankles and immense back pain.”
∞∞∞
The journey to the small clinic which is a few hours away from the Vitale estate was long and filled with an uncomfortable silence. Remi and Cassian–Dario’s younger brothers–aren’t very talkative as is, but they really took it a step further, never speaking a word for the duration of our drive. I thought I’d at least have Kat to talk to, but she’s been out like a light since breakfast.
“You three head inside,” Remi finally says, breaking the uneasy tension in the air, as he approaches the clinic’s entrance. “I’ll park the car and join you in a minute.”
I shake Kat’s arm until her eyes flutter open and she groans out, “Five more minutes, baby.”
A soft chuckle leaves my lips. “Kat, it’s Lia. We’re at the clinic. C’mon, we need to head inside.”
Her eyes shoot open and she straightens her posture. “Alright, let’s go.”
Taking the lead, Cass exits first, opening the door for Kat and me before Remi speeds off, disappearing in the rather full parking lot.
Trying to offer me comfort, Kat links her arm through mine and directs us towards the glass double-doors. “Don’t overthink it,” she whispers. “The more you think about how invasive and absurd this all is, the more uncomfortable you’ll feel. The nurses here are nice and they’ll take good care of you, I promise.”
As we reach them, the doors automatically open and the smell of lavender reaches my nose, making me feel even more queasy.
“Ah, Mrs Vitale, it’s wonderful to see you again,” the middle-aged receptionist says, lifting her head at the sound of the doors. “Please take a seat and a nurse will be with you shortly.” Kat smiles for a moment until Cassian opens his mouth to speak, “Make it quick. We don’t have all day.”
She shakes her head and rolls her eyes as we venture over to the small waiting area. To say it’s lacking colour, personality or anything resembling a woman’s touch would be a severe understatement. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dario influenced how this place was designed and decorated; it resembles almost everything in his home.
It’s completely empty, not a single soul in sight except for the two receptionists at the circular desk. The hushed chatter filtering down the hall tells me there’s a few nurses working behind closed doors already.
Please, take as much time as you need. I’m in no rush whatsoever, I think to myself.
Every minute that passes, the nausea in my gut threatens to show itself all over the white laminated flooring–maybe then it’ll finally have some colour.
Within an instant, another middle-aged woman emerges from one of the back rooms and walks towards us. “Mrs Vitale?” she says in a delicate tone fitting of her face.
I turn to Kat as she stands, dragging me up with her. “They’re not married yet,” she says as if reminding the woman.
She laughs. “Ah, yes, my mistake.” Kat lets a small laugh free as she swats the woman before us playfully. “If you two wouldn’t mind following me, Cass, you can stay here. Remi, you too,” she says, eyeing up the doorway.
“Sure thing, Mrs C,” Remi chimes in, walking towards us.
“You boys know where the snacks and drinks are. Make yourselves comfortable.”
Walking arm in arm once more, Kat places herself between me and the woman as she walks through the hall as if from memory.
The same as the waiting and entrance areas, the whole back region is lacking colour. Everything is white; from the floors, to the doors and even the handles.
As the nurse opens the door, she stands to the side. “Liana, honey, get yourself comfortable in the chair. I’ll be back in a minute.”
I enter and spin around to face her again, flashing a soft smile.
“As for you, Katerina, I stocked a few of your favourites. Whatever you don’t eat, you take home with you, darling.”
“You’re gonna get me fat, Mama.”
“As long as the baby’s healthy, you could be as big as a whale and everyone would still love you. I don’t want you or the baby skipping your cravings just because it’s not what society deems as ‘healthy weight’. I’m a nurse, remember? Listen to your mother; she knows best.” She turns back to me. “Feel free to help yourself too, dear. But be careful, she bites when she’s hangry.” She playfully points over to Kat.
“Mama,” Kat retorts, a sense of warning lacing her tone.
“I’m kidding.” She raises her hands in defence. “Or am I?” she adds before closing the door behind her.
“That’s your mother?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she nods, turning to walk toward the desk in the corner. Squatting down, she opens something and retrieves two cans of Coke, two bags of weirdly shaped crisps and an assortment of mini-muffins. “Here, have some. You need to get your blood sugar up for the blood draw.”
“Blood draw?” I ask, recoiling at her words.
She sighs, walking up to me and placing the snacks at the end of the extended chair I occupy. “You’ve got like five tests to go through, but you’ll be fine. Drawing blood is nothing.”
“I-I don’t like needles,” I whisper.
“You have a tattoo,” she points to my arm. “If you don’t like needles, how did you get that? They don’t appear on their own.”
I laugh. “I don’t like injections… or in this case, needles used to extract my blood. Tattoos are different–the needles are small and move fast enough that the pain is bearable. There’s a difference between the two; one is more beneficial to me than the other.”
She hums, cracking open her can. “I’ve always wanted one, but I wouldn’t know what to get. Why did you get yours?”
I look down at my arm, delicately tracing the outline. “My brother and a childhood friend were getting one and I was adamant to join them.” A small smile lifts at my lips. “I was only sixteen, but they knew it meant a lot to me. And I couldn’t have thanked them more for letting me accompany them.”
“Just sixteen?” she asks, shock lacing her voice. “How did you manage to pull that off?” Her eyes are slightly wider than usual, intrigue written on her face. “No, wait–you have a brother?”
“Yes, an older brother, Apollo. I haven’t seen him in years but knowing we have something in common makes me feel closer to him. And he had a friend that was an insanely good artist. It took a look of persuasion for him to tattoo them and they were both of age, so you have no idea how much it took for him to agree to tattoo a sixteen year old.”
“What did it take?”
Another laugh escapes me. “Apollo went on a total of twelve dates within the three weeks after our tattoo. He said he hated it, but something about the way he spoke about Ares was enough to contradict himself.”
“So did they get together?” Her interest is evident; she’s sitting on the edge of her seat–literally and figuratively. For a split second, she breaks eye contact and turns her attention to the box of muffins.
“They did,” I reply with a smile. Then my face falls and I feel like I’m losing him all over again. “They were happy but my father was a shallow man, so Apollo left to save his sanity.”
She stops, holding a muffin in her hand as it falls limp, almost dropping it, her eyes searching my features. “That’s okay,” she whispers. “We all have things we don’t like to talk about. I have a few stories of my own and—” Kat’s mother returns with a clipboard in hand, cutting her off.
“Alright, Liana, are you ready?” She walks around us both and drags out a small, spinny chair from underneath the oddly-shaped cabinet, perching herself on it.
“Yeah,” I breathe. As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.
“Give her a rundown first, Mama,” Kat says, pushing herself and her snacks backwards towards the desk.
She smirks and giggles at Kat’s words. “Okay, so, there are tests to be done. There will be a blood draw to check your hormones. An ultrasound will ensure there are no underlying issues that would play a major factor in you being unable to conceive. I’ll also need to perform an ovarian reserve test to guarantee your eggs are healthy. The whole process will be over within ninety minutes, give or take. Every woman is different and we can take as many breaks as you need.”
A weak smile touches my lips. “I don’t suppose we can start with the blood test? I-I’m not that good with needles.”
Her soft laugh is endearing as she says, “Of course, dear. Rather get the most daunting test out of the way to focus on the rest. I’ll get that set up for you now.”
The whole thought of this is daunting, the blood test just makes it even more so.